Abortion law change blocked in NY Senate

Syracuse, N.Y. - A last-ditch effort to force a vote on changing New York's abortion law failed in the state Senate this afternoon as lawmakers worked toward the end of their 2013 regular session.

The vote was procedural and the defeat expected after a long day of waiting for the New York State Senate to begin moving legislation on what is supposed to be the last day of session.

Sen. Jeffrey Klein, a Democrat and supporter of codifying the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v Wade decision into state law, tried to attach the proposal to another piece of legislation.

Sen. Thomas Libous, R-Binghamton, opposed the amendment, saying it was not germane to the legislation it was attached to. That legislation was about transferring medical records.

Sen. Diane Savino, a Democrat who was overseeing the Senate this afternoon, ruled the amendment germane. As expected, 32 senators overruled her decision, the exact number needed to block the vote.

All 30 Republican senators voted to overrule Savino, including Sens. John DeFrancisco, R-Syracuse; Patty Ritchie, R-Oswegatchie; and Michael Nozzolio, R-Fayette. They were joined by two conservative Democrats, Sens. Simcha Felder, D-Brooklyn; and Sen. Ruben Diaz, D-Bronx.

Now the New York State Senate is left to consider the remaining nine pieces of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's original Women's Equality Act. Those include a broad range of law changes affecting women and children, from cracking down on human trafficking to changing rules in the workplace. The Senate is expected to pass those bills later today.

That puts the fate of the women's legislation back into the hands of the New York State Assembly. On Thursday, the Democratically-controlled house passed the omnibus women's bill. Many Democratic assembly members, including Speaker Sheldon Silver, have said they would not take up the legislation in 10 separate pieces.